This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the transport of containers from place to place.
The increasing interest in having commercially-treated water available for use in both home and office dispensers has resulted in the expansion of delivery services for large water containers. Typically, large trucks are designed to accommodate a multiplicity of glass five or ten gallon water containers. The delivery man is required to transport these filled containers to the dispenser sites. The containers themselves are typically not provided with means to grasp them for transport. To facilitate transport of the containers, several different types of carriers have been proposed. One such carrier utilizes U-shaped prongs and is placed around the neck of the container. When raised, the prongs engage the lip or flange of the container opener. This carrier requires substantial strength on the part of the user to maintain the attitude of the carrier such that it remains about the neck of the article being transported. Failure to do so results in a dropping of the container due to the reliance upon an open-ended pair of prongs.
Alternative types of carriers have been used with lighter, smaller containers. These carriers typically employ interconnected wire segments which are placed about the neck of the container by hand. The user is required to orient these different wire segments prior to lifting the container. While the wire holders have insufficient strength to support relatively large water containers, more importantly the placement of the segmented carriers requires a number of steps to manipulate and place the segments properly prior to transport. As a result, both hands of the user are occupied with the task at the beginning and end of container transportation. This process is time-consuming, cumbersome and greatly increases the delivery time when more than one container is involved.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a durable carrier for transporting large containers which encircles a portion of the article being transported so that inadvertent movement out of the hold of the carrier is prevented. Furthermore, the present invention provides a simplified securing mechanism relying on the weight of the container to insure a positive grasping thereof. Further, a quick release is provided as the article is placed upon a support surface. Consequently, the carrier is capable of being used in either hand and does not require the user to utilize a second hand to free the container. Another objective is to provide a carrier which is capable of transporting relatively heavy water containers of the type now being utilized for processed water deliveries.